A Day to Remember

Francina Tuttiliogi sat up in bed, holding onto dear life the photo of the man who melted her heart: Troy Edwards. It was the night before the big day, the biggest day in her life, where she was going to walk down that aisle and say, “I do”, officially becoming Mrs. Troy Edwards. It was the moment her family had been awaiting, including all her cousins–distant and close–from all over the town.

As she glanced at the photo of the striking young man–his golden hair that was slicked back, and ocean blue eyes that possessed serenity in them–with whom she’d spend the rest of her life, she sighed dreamily as she began to reminisce about the first time they laid eyes on each other.

One year ago during the summer, Troy was a student at the University of Cambridge studying English, when he was offered a study abroad program that gave him the opportunity to travel to Italy. The summer program lasted for seven weeks, and it was during one of those seven weeks when he made a chance encounter with Francina. She was making her way back home from grocery shopping, and he was trying to find the best restaurant in town. She bumped into him, both hands carrying bags filled with vegetables and other ingredients for dinner, with a carrot falling to the ground. He picked it up for her, and when she looked up… She was enthralled by what she saw.

With a sheepish grin, he spoke to her in flawless Italian, asking her for directions to the nearest restaurant for dinner. She laughed, replying to him in Italian that she could speak English as well, and she invited him to dine with her and her family so that he was not alone. Leave it to Francina to show generosity to a complete stranger, especially to an Englishman as good-looking as Troy was, with his sexy accent. She liked that he made an effort to communicate with her in Italian; not many foreigners–yet alone Americans–would have gone out of their way to do that.

Troy followed Francina to her home, where she introduced him to her family. He shook hands with Francina’s father, Marco, and her mother, Martina. He also got to know her cousins, Elisa, Paolo, and Natalia, as well as her maternal grandparents, Rosa Maria and Giuseppe. Francina did not have any siblings, so her cousins were like the siblings she’d never had. Troy was an only child as well, so this was the first thing that bonded them as something they had in common.

Despite Marco’s protectiveness of his only daughter interacting with a man who was not Italian, he still got along with Troy, as did the rest of the family. Troy was a pleasant guest, and he was able to tell the family about who he was. They were impressed by his academic background and his flawless Italian, which eased the initial tensions between them when they encouraged him to speak English to them. Francina was impressed by Troy’s ability to charm her family, and for the first time in her life, she fell in love without even realizing it. He charmed his way into her heart, and she wanted to make sure he never forgot. So, when dinner was over and he was getting ready to leave, Francina walked Troy out and thanked him for his company.

“I hope to see you again sometime soon,” she said.

“I’ll see what I can do.” He gave her that unforgettable smile before he left, and Francina sighed as she thought about the handsome man who came into her home that night and stole her heart away. As a 17-year-old girl, she’d never felt this way about anyone until she laid eyes on Troy.

Now, it’s been a whole year since that memorable night when she met him, and Francina was eager to marry Troy. She was 18 and he was 23, so she was not “too young” to get married. This was a time when it was the norm for women to wed at a young age, and Francina’s family strongly believed that she was old enough to fall in love and marry. In their eyes, she was no longer a little girl. Marco realized this when Troy came over last week and asked for his permission to marry his beautiful, precious daughter. He trusted and loved Troy enough to consider him to be the son that he’d never had, and he eventually offered the young man his blessing to wed Francina.

The next day, Martina and Rosa Maria accompanied Troy to the jewelry store to find the most beautiful ring for Francina, which took them an hour until he found the perfect one. When Troy realized how expensive it cost, he was unsure if it was worth it to spend pocket money on a ring that Francina might not appreciate later in life. He was not employed at the moment, so this would pose a potential financial threat.

Rosa Maria, giving him a sympathetic smile, suggested, “I suppose it would be better if you could just give her mine instead.” She took off her ring and gave it to him. “Her grandfather gave this to me, which I also gave to her mother here. And now I’m giving it to you to give to her. This ring is a symbol of love in our family, and I have no doubt that you’ll make her happy.”

Troy examined the ring before he could accept it. “Are you sure, Signora?” he asked.

Rosa Maria nodded in response as a tear fell down her eye. Martina held her mother’s hand. She could tell this was an emotional decision for her mother to make, for the sake of her lovely daughter.

Martina said, “Real love does not cost anything. The gift you give must come straight from the heart. Francina shall treasure this all the days of her life; this we are certain of.”

Rosa Maria had brought her ring’s jewelry box with her to secure the ring for the time being. The three of them thanked the store owner for her time before they departed, and Troy’s decision was set: He was going to propose to Francina that evening during dinner.

That evening, Francina was wearing a lovely aqua-blue dress, looking as stunning as ever. She was elated to see Troy join her for dinner for two at her house and here he was, dressed in a suit and tie. She didn’t know it, but he had the ring in his pocket for safekeeping. He would take it out during dessert time, but for now, it was time to enjoy the main course while a musician that her mother hired played gentle, romantic music on the piano.

When it was time for dessert, the maid came to collect their dinner plates so that the cook could serve the tiramisu and panna cotta. Francina’s favorite dessert since childhood was panna cotta, so it was a miracle that the cook could read her mind by providing her favorite dessert. The main course wasn’t all that bad, either, but the dessert was the best part.

Troy held Francina’s hand and gazed lovingly into her chocolate-brown eyes. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you looked tonight?” he asked in a smooth voice that caused her heart to beat.

“You tell me that all the time,” she replied with a giggle.

“Well, that is the truth, and I’ll never let you forget it. I love you, Francina. I can’t explain it, but you mean the world to me. I’ve never met a woman as beautiful as you. I never felt this way about anyone else before, if you can believe it.”

Francina smiled; she believed it. He was her first and only. “I love you too, Troy. I love to spend time with you, and I love how happy you make my family. Their happiness is important to me, too. Thank you for opening my eyes and my heart to see what true love is.”

“I do what I do best.” He grinned as he made his bold move by getting down on one knee and taking out the ring. “And this is the best thing I’ll ever do. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Francina. I know your family must think that you’re much too young, but for me this feels right. I don’t wish to wait a minute longer; life is short and precious. Precious, just like you.”

A tear of joy ran down Francina’s face. For a second, she thought she was dreaming but she was not. This was reality. Troy Edwards was really proposing to her. “Troy…” She began.

“Shh, don’t say anything yet. I love you with all my heart, Francina. Your family has been generous and kind to me, especially your father. He gave me his blessing to ask for your hand in marriage. He loves you and is rather protective of you, which is a great thing because it means that you come from a loving family who want nothing but the best for you. They can agree that I’m the best for you, right? So, what do you say, Francina Tuttiliogi? Will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife?”

Another tear ran down Francina’s face as she glanced down at the ring. She recognized it as her grandmother’s ring, and it was a family treasure. Rosa Maria had handed it down to Martina, and Martina decided to give it to Troy to give to Francina. Touched by the beauty of the ring, Francina had no choice but to say yes to forever. “Yes, yes, a million times yes!” she squealed with joy as he put the ring on her finger.

Troy announced, “She said yes, everybody!”

Her family arrived in the kitchen to congratulate the young couple. They had organized this dinner so that Francina and Troy could share a private moment with each other as he proposed to her. She just made him the happiest man alive by saying yes.

For the rest of the week after that memorable evening, Francina and her family began preparing for the wedding. Troy’s family and friends flew in from England so that they could be there for him. Now, the two families were eager to celebrate their children’s eternal bliss. The night before the big day, Francina sat up in bed as she glanced at Troy’s photo on her nightstand, reminiscing about the first time she met him, and her fears were eased. Everything was going to be perfect.

She woke up in a blissful mood the next morning, a bright and beautiful Saturday. That morning, her family was cheerful as they worked with the photographers and make-up artists to capture as many photos of the bride-to-be as possible. Marco and Giuseppe decided to head to the church to inform the priest that they were getting Francina ready for the occasion, and they stayed in the church with the priest and incoming guests for the ceremony. The women remained in the house with Francina, along with her cousins, for moral support as she wore her elegant, long-sleeved, V-neck lace gown. It was an original, nothing like what her mother, grandmother or aunts had worn before.

Rosa Maria couldn’t contain her emotions as she wept at the sight of her stunning granddaughter. She told Francina, “Sei una sposa bellissima.” (“You make a beautiful bride.”)

Francina, flattered by the compliment, gave her grandmother a hug. “Nonna, non piangere. Se piangi, mi farai piangere anche tu.” (“Grandma, don’t cry. If you cry, you’ll make me cry, too.”)

Rosa Maria told Francina that she’d see her downstairs after her cousin, Elisa, helped her with her necklace. After Rosa Maria left, Elisa went to her room to find a more stylish necklace for Francina. In the moment that her cousin and grandmother left and Francina was alone in her room, Francina went up to the window to open it so that she could get some fresh air in her room; it was supposed to be a very warm afternoon.

But then, she felt someone shove her in the back, causing her to stumble backward onto the window, shattering it… And she screamed as she fell many feet from the window to the ground. Elisa returned to her room, dumbstruck when she saw the shattered glass and peered out at her injured cousin on the ground and cried out in terror, “Francina!”

Rosa Maria and the others came running to the room. “Cosa è successo?” Rosa Maria asked Elisa, seeking to know what happened.

Elisa replied, sobbing, “È Francina; È caduta dalla finestra!” (“It’s Francina; she fell out the window.”)

Everyone gasped in shock and horror as they came up to the room, glanced at the remains of the broken glass window on the floor. Martina called 911 to report that her daughter had fallen out of the window. She offered to stay behind with Francina until help arrived, while Rosa Maria and the other women volunteered to go to the church to break the shocking news to Marco, Giuseppe, and even Troy. The wedding would have to be postponed for now.

Everything happened within minutes: paramedics came to transport Francina to the hospital, and the family was left reeling from the shocking news. Even Troy was devastated that such an unfortunate thing could happen to the woman that he loved, who he was supposed to share the rest of his life with. Now it wasn’t to be. Instead, she was fighting for her life, not knowing whether she would make it or not.

The doctors told the family that Francina had suffered significant head injuries and broken bones, so they were going to perform emergency surgery on her to save her life. In the meantime, investigators were around to examine the fall to determine how she could have fallen out the window.

A week later, Francina was in the process of recovering from the surgery, and her family became devoted to caring for her, including Troy. Although they did not get married as planned, he was still determined to take care of her, as if she was his wife. That’s how much he loved her, and how much he was willing to stick by her: through the thick and thin, in sickness and in health, for better or worse. The vows he was following before he actually had a chance to say, “I do” to her.

A week later, Francina was still in the process of recovery. That night, as she was about to wash her face in the bathroom before heading to bed, she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation taking place downstairs in the living room. She heard Elisa sobbing uncontrollably and the others comforting her. “Va bene, Elisa,” Martina reassured her, telling her that everything was going to be okay.

“No, non lo è,” Elisa replied in between her sobs. “È tutta colpa mia. Ho spinto Francina apposta. Vedi, volevo ferirla. Perché sono così gelosa di lei. Ottiene sempre tutto ciò che vuole. E ora sta per sposarsi con un uomo che ama. Non è giusto, perché che mi dici di me? Non posso farci niente se provo così tanto risentimento nei suoi confronti. Per l'amor del cielo, ha solo 18 anni!”

Elisa had just practically confessed to having pushed Francina out of the window deliberately while her cousin was alone in the room. She was supposed to help Francina put on her necklace, but instead, she ended up pushing her out the window instead. She wanted to “hurt” Francina, having always been jealous of her for whatever reason, believing that Francina “always got everything she wanted”, especially now that she was bound to marry the man that she loved, Troy Edwards. Elisa said she couldn’t help the resentment that she’d apparently always felt toward Francina, and now she’s trying to justify it by saying that Francina’s the one getting married at only 18. Elisa was 23, the same age as Troy, and she herself was single and unattached. Men tended to gravitate more toward Francina than to her… Or at least that’s how she felt.

That was a criminal confession in a nutshell. Francina wanted to go down and confront Elisa, but her weakened condition made her too tired to engage in any yelling. She’d yell at her tomorrow.

Instead, she gave Troy a phone call to explain everything to him, and she asked him to report this to the authorities the next morning, which he agreed to do. This was her plan of revenge against Elisa: turning her in.

When Francina woke up the next morning, Martina offered to help her downstairs to the kitchen for a nice breakfast. She asked her daughter, “Come ti senti stamattina”, wanting to know how Francina was feeling.

“Sto bene, grazie, Mamma,” Francina replied, saying that she was feeling “fine.”

Rosa Maria gave Francina her dish of eggs and toast, as well as a cup of orange juice, smiling adoringly at her brave granddaughter who was handling all this with grace. “Grazie mille, Nonna.”

“Di niente, amore mio.” Rosa Maria gave her a kiss on the forehead, to say, “You’re welcome, my love.”

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and the officers called out for Elisa. Elisa introduced herself to them, as they informed her that she was officially charged with assault toward Francina by shoving her out the window. 

Elisa sobbed, apologizing profusely to Francina and the others, although there was very little her apologies could do now. With delightful smiles, the whole family watched her being escorted by law enforcement. And for the first time in her life, Francina felt victorious toward her bitter, vengeful cousin who was now going to face the consequences of her terrible actions.